FreshPhoneNews.com

The difference between smartphone usage in the United States and the rest of the world lies primarily in the data plans offered by carriers. While just about every carrier in the U.S. offers unlimited data plans at very affordable rates, but elsewhere in the world, such is simply not the case. Manufacturers like RIM and Apple capitalize on the U.S. unlimited data plans by keeping their handsets connected throughout the day. This turns simple apps into powerful tools. In other parts of the world, where data plans aren’t as cost effective, devices have to be geared to increase cost-efficiency by connecting only when needed. This is where S60 scores big time. The S60 allows apps to connect only when they are being used, otherwise your handset is effectively offline. While this is great for regions outside the U.S. it is a shortcoming for the Symbian crowd this side of the globe. But everyone knows that the States doesn’t really rank top on Nokia’s target markets, so this isn’t something they’ve looked into yet. But a solution does exist. Though not a customized S60 for the United States, there is a way that you can keep your S60 bearing Nokia smartphone connected at all times; go to Settings -> Connection -> Packet Data, change “When Needed” to “When Available” and then key in your Access Point. And there you have it, of course this will tax your battery life a bit. So for now, you have to choose between continuous connectivity and better battery life.